PM: Millets can tackle global food crisis, need to boost production

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 18

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said millets could the solution to the global food security challenges and diseases arising out of bad food habits and urged farm scientists to work towards increasing India’s millet production from the current 5-6 per cent.

“Many states have included millets in their PDS system. Other states must follow suit,” said Modi while addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Global Millets Conference.

He also highlighted the climate resilience of millets and said it could easily be produced even in adverse climatic conditions. “It is a preferred crop for water-stressed areas as it requires relatively less water to grow. Millets can be grown naturally without chemicals,” the PM noted.

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“It is easy to grow, and it gets ready for cultivation faster than other crops. Besides, it is rich in nutrition, special in taste, high in fibre content and beneficial for the body,” said Modi. He also called for including the super food in the mid-day meal so that children could get proper nutrition.

The PM also stressed that India wanted to share its agricultural practices with the world and learn from experiences from other countries.

He also made a strong pitch for developing a stable supply chain for this super food from field to market and from one country to another.

Highlighting the achievements of India’s millet mission, Modi said household consumption of millets increased from three kg to 14 kg per month after 2018, when India started focusing on millets. He also noted that the sale of millet products had also seen a boost of about 30 per cent.

Modi emphasised that the ongoing millets mission — Shri Anna — would prove to be a boon for 2.5 crore millet farmers of the country. “It is for the first time after India’s Independence that any government thought about marginalised millet farmers.”

Millet is a common term to categorise small-seeded grasses that are often termed nutri-cereals and includes sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), little millet (kutki), foxtail millet (kakun), proso millet (cheena), barnyard millet (sawa) and kodo millet (kodon).

Consumption up 30%

Household consumption of millets increased from 3 kg to 14 kg per month after 2018, when India started focusing on millets. The sale of millet products has also seen a boost of about 30 per cent. — Narendra Modi, PM

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